The title of the 302nd episode of "Grey's Anatomy" is the number for the National Domestic Abuse Hotline — here's why that's important

Through the course of its 14-year run, Grey’s Anatomy has been largely consistent in two things: 1) Pulling at our heartstrings while exploring critical social issues like same-sex marriage, gun control, and racism; and 2) Naming every episode after a song.

Remember that gut-wrenching hospital shooting episode? It got its name from a Coldplay track, “Death and All His Friends.” How about that one time Meredith realizes George was the John Doe patient? Its title originated from the song “Now or Never” by Three Days Grace. Oh, and that episode where we’re all forced to say goodbye to McDreamy? It borrowed its name from The Fray’s “How to Save A Life.”

But last night, Grey’s Anatomy deviated from its long-standing tradition of naming episodes after songs for one very important reason.

Aired last November, the midseason finale left us with a cliffhanger as Jo ran into her abusive husband she worked so hard to get away from. Last night’s episode was originally going to be named after a Crowded House track, but showrunner Krista Vernoff decided to change it after a suggestion from one of the show’s actors, Giacomo Gianniotti, who plays Andrew DeLuca.

They changed the title to “1-800-799-7233” — the phone number for the National Domestic Abuse Hotline.

"You see her obviously absolutely horrified that he has infiltrated her world," she explains. "When she initially runs into him, she feels like everything is completely turned upside down. Jo is honestly trying to get ahead of the situation and do any damage control that she knows he will try and do."

They show intended this episode to be informative, with the goal of dismissing “misconceptions about domestic abuse, who it happens to, and what it looks like.”

ABC/Richard Cartwright

At the height of #MeToo and #TimesUp, with women finally speaking up and standing up for one another, the timing of this couldn’t be more perfect.

"It’s a long time coming, but now that it’s airing right as TimesUp is happening, I just feel like it’s serendipitous," Luddington continues. "Really this story is about a woman that is no longer feeling silenced and finding the strength to use her voice, to be heard, to be believed, to feel empowered."

Thank you, Grey’s Anatomy, for never shying away from tackling hot-button issues and embedding them into the show ever so tastefully. This is precisely the reason why we’re still watching 301 episodes later, and for 300+ episodes more.

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